Close to Tears
by meanderer
Summary: My version on how Neville and Hannah get together. Takes place a few days after the Final Battle. Cannon. Oneshot. Please read and review!


**Authors Note:**

_Hey! This is my first fanfiction, and I'm not sure if it's good or not. Please review! It would mean a lot to me! Enjoy!  
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**Disclaimer: I'm a teenager from the United States. Yep. I'm J.K. Rowling. Yep. In my wildest dreams.**

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><p>Hannah kicked at the gravel beside the lake and blinked back the unshed tears stinging her eyes. She knew she shouldn't be crying-she hadn't lost nearly as many friends and family as a lot of people. Still, she pictured the bodies lying in the Great Hall, the stories those people had. The children that had been killed. The lives cut short. She sat down below a tree and allowed herself to imagine the lives the victims could've had. She imagined the wedding of Collin Creevy and his rosy, round faced children. She imagined the pranks Fred Weasley would've played, the jokes he would've told to cheer everybody up. She imagined the children that would never be born, the marriages that wouldn't take place, the family's that had been destroyed. She imagined the grief that would surely be burying George Weasley right now, the pain little Dennis Creevy would be feeling. She wished she could do something-anything-to help them. But she didn't know them really well, and she wasn't brave enough to start the conversation now. There was a reason she wasn't in Gryffindor. She was loyal, yes. Her loyalty had made her fight in the battle. But she certainly wasn't brave. She couldn't even go give Dennis a hug and tell him how sorry she was for his loss. She felt like a coward. A small sob escaped her, and the tears started to flow from her eyes. All of the sudden, she became aware of another person standing next to her.<p>

"Neville? What are you doing here?" She asked, surprised by his presence. She had never been particularly close to Neville, though they had become friends during their time in the Room of Requirement.

"I saw you down here alone, and I wanted to make sure you were okay. I didn't think anybody should be alone after last night." Neville responded slightly nervously.

"Is anyone really okay? We all saw horrible things. I think it will be a long time before anyone is okay." Hannah replied, raising her eyebrows.

"Point taken. I wanted to make sure you weren't alone, and that you had someone to talk to." Neville said with a weak chuckle.

"I'm not okay. But I will be, soon enough. I feel bad, crying, when I haven't lost anybody that close to me. Not in a while, anyway. But I can't help it, not when I imagine all the families torn apart, the lives taken away." She found herself sobbing into Neville's shoulder, unable to stop herself.

Neville wrapped his arms around Hannah, unsure what he should do. He had never experienced sobbing girls, and had no idea what to say. He just held her, and allowed her to cry. He had always wished he had someone to do that for him, all those times he had cried over his Mum and Dad. His Gran always told him to stop crying and get over it, to be brave like his parents. He tried to give Hannah what he'd always wanted, just a shoulder to cry on.

"It's okay to cry." He told her. "We all lost someone, and horrible, horrible things happened. We need to live to make their sacrafices worth it, to make sure they didn't die in vain. It'll be okay. Not right away, but eventually."

Hannah sniffled. "I know. I-I'm sorry. I-I just…" but she couldn't go on, because suddenly, Neville was kissing her, and she was kissing him back. It was different from all the other kisses she'd had. This had passion, steadiness, tenderness and romance. It was amazing, and she knew she'd be okay if she only kissed Neville for the rest of her life.

4 years later, Hannah took deep breaths as she waited in the entrance to the church. She clutched her father's arm.

"Ready?" he asked her. "It's not too late you know. You can still back out, move to Ireland or something, if you're not sure."

"Dad! I'm not moving to Ireland, and I'm not leaving Neville. I'm sure I love him. I'm sure I want to be his wife. I just wish I didn't have to stop being an Abbot to do it though." Hannah admitted.

"Honey, look at me. You will always be an Abbot. It doesn't matter whose name you have. What matters is the choices you make and who you are inside. You will always be an Abbot, the best of them all. You will always be my little Hannah" Mr. Abbot reassured his daughter, his eyes unusually bright.

"Thanks Dad. I love you. I always will." Hannah said, sniffiling a little bit. She gave her Dad one last hug before muttering to herself. "Let's do this."

Mr. Abbot smiled ruefully to himself. "Let's get you married off then. Are you sure about Ireland?"

"Dad!"

Half an hour later, Hannah was staring into the eyes of the man who was going to be her husband in a few minutes. She didn't blink once as she recited her vows. "Neville, you were the light when I was surrounded by darkness. You were my silver cloud in a sea of gray. You were my beacon of light when I was blind. You helped me through the bad times, and are there through all the good. I love you more than anything, and can't wait to start our life together. I promise to stand by you, to help you fight. To always be there and support you no matter what. To love you and protect you through bad times, as well as the good. To nurse you when you're sick, and celebrate when you're well. Forever and always." Hannah didn't waver through her vows, and was sure this was the right thing for her, that Neville was the right man for her. She was sure.

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><p><strong>There you have it! Please review! I would really appreciate it! Thank you!<strong>


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